Paper Packaging Is Attractive And Impactful

In all retail environments, appealing emotionally to consumers is a modern challenge. Packages that communicate on a multi-sensory level offer brands the opportunity to stand out and inspire others. They not only explain the advantages of the product but also tell stories that create a platform for the brand to shine.

As a product that consumers touch, use and dispose of, packaging has become a visible demonstration of a brand’s commitment to sustainability, circularity and responsible resource use.

As consumers, regulators and retailers place greater emphasis on recyclability, many brands are moving away from difficult-to-recycle packaging formats and towards fibre-based alternatives. Across Europe, companies including Amazon¹, Coca-Cola² and Aldi³ have introduced paper-based packaging solutions to replace plastic components in selected product ranges and e-commerce deliveries. By choosing fibre-based packaging, brands can take advantage of well-established paper recycling systems while helping consumers to recycle more easily and supporting the transition to a circular economy.

Demonstrating paper packaging’s environmental credentials is one way brand owners and retailers can connect with consumers. However, sustainability is just one of paper packaging’s unique selling points. Packaging is all about getting people’s attention, communicating and making a connection.

The practical impact that paper packaging can have on consumers is best displayed at a product level.

Cartons are increasingly being used to connect consumers with digital information. Technologies such as QR codes, augmented reality scanning, RFID tags and emerging digital product passports allow brands to provide product information, traceability data, recycling guidance and interactive content directly through the packaging. Carton designs also lead the way in innovation and brand promotion, especially for prestigious and premium goods. The ability to continuously innovate makes cartons the sustainable choice for today and the future.⁴

Transit packaging can also be used creatively to display and promote products. ‘Shelf-ready packaging‘ that uses printed corrugated board allows brand owners to safely transport their goods and display them prominently in store using the same package. E-commerce mailing bags often use unbleached brown paper to demonstrate to a brand’s customers that the ecological impact of its packaging has been well considered.

New printing techniques are also being used to satisfy the most sophisticated of graphic design requirements, and the introduction of new technologies has had a big impact on packaging design. Digital printing techniques now allow the economical production of prototypes, sales samples and limited production runs for test markets, resulting in a remarkable increase in the possibilities for ‘speed to market‘ in new product launches.

Sustainable paper packaging is a great way for brand owners and retailers to communicate and engage with consumers.